TRENTON — After surviving a runaway win by Republican Gov. Chris Christie and keeping a strong majority in both houses of the state Legislature, Democrats plan a big push to grant in-state college tuition to undocumented immigrants for the "lame duck" session that lasts until lawmakers finish out their terms in January.

The bill is just one of several major initiatives Democrats, emboldened by their victories, plan to take up — including a new gun control measure and paid sick leave for all workers. They’ll also have to figure out what to do about gay marriage, legalized by a court but not written into state law.

The tuition bill (A4225) — dubbed the DREAM Act — was advanced by an Assembly committee in June, but leaders pulled it when their members feared it could become toxic in their legislative races. Now, with the closest legislative election two years away — and with Republican Gov. Chris Christie now supporting the idea — leaders are eager to get it passed.

"The DREAM Act is extremely important to get done. I want to get it on the governor’s desk in December," said Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester).

State Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-Essex), serving her final two months leading the lower house, said she’s especially hopeful it "can be accomplished now that Gov. Christie has announced support for it."

An effort to revive a key gun control measure is also expected to be on the lame-duck agenda. Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-Camden) said he plans to revive a bill (A1329) seeking further restrictions on the size of ammunition magazines. The bill was introduced in the aftermath of Sandy Hook, and even brought in families of the slain children to advocate for it.

"Enough is enough. This is something that the state overwhelmingly wants," Greenwald said. The bill would lower their permitted capacity from 15 rounds to 10.

But it’s not up to Greenwald. The bill has passed the Assembly, but Sweeney refused to hold a vote on it before the election. Now, Sweeney sounds somewhat more amenable. "I haven’t made my mind up on it," he said. "(Greenwald) hasn’t talked to me about it."

Pushing the gun measure is sure to reignite one of the year’s biggest debates in Trenton as Christie signed some gun legislation but blocked some of the major bills pushed by the Legislature.

Bryan Miller, executive director of the faith-based anti-gun violence group Heeding God’s Call, said voters favor more restrictions on guns, noting that Democrats appeared to have successfully used the issue against Republicans in campaigns.

"We heard from the majority leader in a press conference we had with the Sandy Hook folks to just be patient about this bill, and that it would be brought up by the leadership after the election," Miller siad. "And it’s now after the election."

Scott Bach, executive director of the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, said it wouldn’t curb violence. "Limiting the right of legal gun owners to defend themselves against home invasion accomplishes nothing except turning good people into victims," he said. "Does anyone honestly believe that criminals follow magazine restrictions?"

While the Assembly may want gun bills from the Senate, Sweeney also wants something from the Assembly: A bill (S2) the Senate passed to push towns to take the state’s recommendations to share services by cutting state aid if they refuse. It’s been stalled in the Assembly. Now, Sweeney wants to get it done. "We’ve listened to the Assembly. We addressed all of their concerns," Sweeney said.

In the Assembly, incoming Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) said he wants to push a bill to require companies to offer their workers paid sick leave (A4125). Oliver said it’s a "matter to consider."

What’s less clear is what the Legislature is going to do about gay marriage. Right now, gay couples can get married in New Jersey. But that right hangs on a decision made at the Superior Court level, since the state Supreme Court never decided the case.

Lawmakers could try to override Christie’s 2012 veto of gay marriage legislation or write a new bill to encode it into law. Or they could do nothing — an option they say is looking more attractive.

Greenwald said the Assembly is leaning against an override because, even if they cobbled together the two-thirds majority they’d need to pull it off, a religious exemption provision that was inserted into the bill to win Republican support could actually restrict rights gay couples have under the court ruling.

"The answer probably is no," Greenwald said of the override. "Right now in New Jersey, the opinion seems to be that we have the strongest marriage equality laws in the country."

But the bill’s journey through the legislative process began in the Senate, which means Sweeney has to decide what to do first. Last week, he wasn’t saying. "We’re going to sit with the marriage- equality community. I don’t want to do anything to hurt them," he said.